This is by far the best book I've ever read on the complex subject of technology spin-outs, and I've read a lot of them. As I live in Oxford and work in the area of technology transfer, I had been hearing about this upcoming book for quite some time. Honestly, I was expecting another letdown, thinking that if it was written by an "academic," it was probably not very useful. I'm pleased to report that my experience with this book was exactly the opposite.
The first half could almost be called a handbook on how to create successful spin-outs. Dr. Richard's extensive real world experience with this subject matter instantly shines through. He writes in an easy to read, down-to-earth style, and his sense of humor crops up often in the text. He takes a very complicated subject area and makes it simple to understand, particularly some of the softer "people" issues which can be so difficult to deal with in real world spin-outs. I also enjoyed the historical background on spin-outs, which was concise and to the point--told me just what I needed to know without getting bogged down in too much detail. And the story of his own spin-out was fascinating.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, clear primer on spin-outs, as well as those who are actively involved in creating these types of businesses. It has already helped me immeasurably with my own work.
Dr. Michael Wells
Teaching Fellow - Entrepreneurship
Research & Enterprise Unit
City University London